luckykaa

So it was the bank holiday weekend and that meant it was Gaspode's annual barbecue.

Stopped en route to check in at hotel. Flickums wanted to change into a pretty dress and looked absolutely fabulous in a Ghostbusters dress.

We drove the rest of the way. Probably not necessary since it's a10 minute walk but we were transporting food. I provided my offering of Apple and Blackberry tart, using apples and blackberries from my garden. Although I wasn't totally happy with it. Didn't quite have the tartness that's nice in a tart. I also feel it got overshadowed by other offerings.

Had a nice time though, chatting to people about geekery, weddings, RAF CCF, and causing rows on facebook about conventions. As well as gaspode's thoughts on the subject. We agree that we need more media based fan cons. Really we need new blood. Although the only new con we've had recently was Nineworlds and gaspode had a lotto say about how that ended up ending. Threw out some thoughts I had, especially regarding video games. 

Also chatted to some new people Aisha and Tom and they had a son who liked riddles. Flickums got to be terribly clever by getting one of them. He completely messed up the one about two people having the race for the slowest horse, which I thought was endearing.

Was thinking of calling on The Lemming Man for a bit but hadn't slept well, and rather felt he was suffering a little from a late night. So we set off early, thinking we'd get home a little after lunchtime. Sadly I got distracted by trains. There's a nice preserved railway outside Aylesbury. Rides were a little short - going from the station to just outside the station but they had some nice locos and exhibits.

Ended up getting back later than expected but there was time to watch a movie.

Monday I finally got some essential sewing done. Hemmed a tablecloth. Shortened the straps on Flick's dress. Adjusted the collar on another. Feel I didn't get as much done as I wanted but I got something done.

Wrapping up the evening with a roast dinner and a movie. Flickums,as ever, has the most wonderful Yorkshire puddings.

I have about 75 litres of beanbag filling sitting about doing nothing.

Anyone want it?

T'was lemming_man's birthday party at the House of Noise. 

Discoveries from the party:

• All geeks like princess leia as a slave girl
• squirrel_dreams    was a mouse in a previous life
• Mead doesn't seem to give me a hangover (not that I suffer much from them these days anyway).  This is clearly why vikings were so successful.  Drink all night, still up for a fight the following morning.
  
• tinkerbell1980    can cause deafness.
• Other people can stay partying far later than me. 

Next day, I had tictactoepony's expertise to guide me, so I picked up some fabric for a new shirt for my LARP character.  It had to be purple.  It had to be the right shade of purple.  Eddie is a total fashion victim and will take any excuse to show off his family's wealth.  He needs a purple shirt. 


Later we went to the pub.  I had a steak.  They also had some very nice desserts, so I engaged my dessert stomach for a chocolate Sundae.

I feel I should have left early and gone to blazingskies' party.  I'm sure I would have been able to and still have juice left over to party.  Maybe next time...

Eek. 

Maybe I shouldn't have destruction tested my beanbag.  It's all fine until the test fails.  I now have a floor with many polystyrene balls on it and a semi-restitched bean bag. 

Seems to be the final edge that was the weak spot.  Strange.  I double stiched it. 

I want to make myself a big furry bean bag.  [Poll #952218]

So, went to Picocon. 

Met omylouse, cath_er_ine, palfrey, samj and tictactoepony and a few others. 

Saw talks.

Didn't spend nearly enough time in the bar.  Annoyingly they had football on.  ICSF really needs to take absolute control of the place if they're going to have a convention.  And warn them that SF fans drink a lot of Real Ale. 

Still, it was fun.  There were some serious talks in the beginning from some writers and academics who are way too clever by far.  Then there was the traditional destruction of Dodgy merchanidise, silly game of Just a Minute, (the contestants weren't very good.  They missed some obvious challenges, such as "lots and lots"),  Mornington Crescent (including engineering rules which I always consider a little unfair, giving an advantage to the first person to get onto a 3 line interchange), and 20 questions. 

Wen for some Thai food in the nice Thai restaurant.  Went home.  Slept.   Woke up again...  Tidied up, went to Modelworld at the Brighton Centre. 

There were trains there.  And Laser Tag Tanks.  And more trains.  And a biiiiig model of the titanic (and a little iceberg).   And trains made of matchsticks. And kiler robots.  And radio controlled cars that did an Italian Job reenactment.  Then a demolition derby.  And I met osme people I know from Shoreham Model Railway club.  Alas, the club is no more, most of the members have left, and the premises have been condemned as unsafe.  Needs to post phots andvideos at some point.

Ate some nice Japanese food.  Chose Murasaki (Brighton has a pretty good selection for Japanese food).  Doesn't have Moshi Moshi's funky conveyer belts and was a little empty, but very nice. 

I don't know my way around Japanese food though.  Anyone who wants to help broaden my knowledge is cordially invited to Brighton.

One for you crafy types. Somehow this t-shirt quilt made me think of one of the_smut_fairy's creations.